Roddick set to play his last, Tsonga exits
Source: Agencies |
September 1, 2012, Saturday
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AS Andy Roddick announced his planned retirement from tennis, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga made a very unplanned departure at the US Open on Thursday.
After three days of the top players winning decisively, fifth-seeded Tsonga was upset by Martin Klizan of Slovakia in the second round in the first shock of this year's Open. The 52nd-ranked Klizan won 6-4, 1-6, 6-1, 6-3.
Roddick, on his 30th birthday, announced this tournament will be his last, saying he no longer felt the drive to compete at the highest level and didn't want his career to peter out.
"I don't know that I'm healthy enough or committed enough to go another year," Roddick said. "I've always wanted to, in a perfect world, finish at this event. I have a lot of family and friends here. I've thought all year that I would know when I got to this tournament. When I was playing my first round, I knew."
Roddick's announcement came a day after Kim Clijsters, a four-time grand slam champion, suffered a second round defeat which sent her into retirement.
Belgian Clijsters also lost her women's doubles bid on Thursday. China's Zhang Shuai and Chinese Taipei's Chuang Chia-Jung defeated Clijsters and Kirsten Flipkens 6-3, 6-4 in the opening round.
Also, Roger Federer breezed past 83rd-ranked Bjorn Phau of Germany 6-2, 6-3, 6-2. Serena Williams advanced after beating Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez of Spain 6-2, 6-4.
Venus Williams came within two points of winning, but dropped five of the last six games and ended up exiting early at a tournament she's won twice, beaten 2-6, 7-5, 5-7 by sixth-seeded Angelique Kerber of Germany in a nearly 3-hour match.
Before Tsonga's loss, top-five seeds on the men's and women's sides had played 14 matches and won all 14 in straight sets. The Frenchman was the runner-up at the 2008 Australian Open and a semifinalist at Wimbledon this year. He had reached at least the third round in 18 straight grand slam trips.
This year's Open has generated plenty of drama in one area: comebacks from two sets down.
American Mardy Fish rallied to beat Nikolay Davydenko 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-2, 6-1, 6-2, the 10th time in this tournament a man has won after losing the first two sets - already an Open record. The 30-year-old Fish, seeded 23rd, missed two months this season because of an accelerated heartbeat but showed few signs of fatigue in playing nearly 3 1/2 hours.
Davydenko had an interesting take on the match, suggesting men should only play best-of-three sets, rather than five.
"Why (do) girls play best of three sets and we should play best of five sets and have the same prize money?" Davydenko said, reviving a familiar debate.
"Why are we playing five-set matches? We need to play best of three in grand slams. Everybody will support (that idea, even Roger) Federer. For Federer, it's easy to win in one hour, two sets. No need to run (for) a third set," Davydenko said.
Second-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska was down a set and a break to 39th-ranked Carla Suarez Navarro. Then she won 11 straight games for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 victory.
After three days of the top players winning decisively, fifth-seeded Tsonga was upset by Martin Klizan of Slovakia in the second round in the first shock of this year's Open. The 52nd-ranked Klizan won 6-4, 1-6, 6-1, 6-3.
Roddick, on his 30th birthday, announced this tournament will be his last, saying he no longer felt the drive to compete at the highest level and didn't want his career to peter out.
"I don't know that I'm healthy enough or committed enough to go another year," Roddick said. "I've always wanted to, in a perfect world, finish at this event. I have a lot of family and friends here. I've thought all year that I would know when I got to this tournament. When I was playing my first round, I knew."
Roddick's announcement came a day after Kim Clijsters, a four-time grand slam champion, suffered a second round defeat which sent her into retirement.
Belgian Clijsters also lost her women's doubles bid on Thursday. China's Zhang Shuai and Chinese Taipei's Chuang Chia-Jung defeated Clijsters and Kirsten Flipkens 6-3, 6-4 in the opening round.
Also, Roger Federer breezed past 83rd-ranked Bjorn Phau of Germany 6-2, 6-3, 6-2. Serena Williams advanced after beating Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez of Spain 6-2, 6-4.
Venus Williams came within two points of winning, but dropped five of the last six games and ended up exiting early at a tournament she's won twice, beaten 2-6, 7-5, 5-7 by sixth-seeded Angelique Kerber of Germany in a nearly 3-hour match.
Before Tsonga's loss, top-five seeds on the men's and women's sides had played 14 matches and won all 14 in straight sets. The Frenchman was the runner-up at the 2008 Australian Open and a semifinalist at Wimbledon this year. He had reached at least the third round in 18 straight grand slam trips.
This year's Open has generated plenty of drama in one area: comebacks from two sets down.
American Mardy Fish rallied to beat Nikolay Davydenko 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-2, 6-1, 6-2, the 10th time in this tournament a man has won after losing the first two sets - already an Open record. The 30-year-old Fish, seeded 23rd, missed two months this season because of an accelerated heartbeat but showed few signs of fatigue in playing nearly 3 1/2 hours.
Davydenko had an interesting take on the match, suggesting men should only play best-of-three sets, rather than five.
"Why (do) girls play best of three sets and we should play best of five sets and have the same prize money?" Davydenko said, reviving a familiar debate.
"Why are we playing five-set matches? We need to play best of three in grand slams. Everybody will support (that idea, even Roger) Federer. For Federer, it's easy to win in one hour, two sets. No need to run (for) a third set," Davydenko said.
Second-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska was down a set and a break to 39th-ranked Carla Suarez Navarro. Then she won 11 straight games for a 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 victory.
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